BOXING
Benavidez Sr wants Canelo to face the ‘Mexican Monster’ in September
David Benavidez’s father says the Mexican superstar should fight his son in September instead of facing Bivol after his impressive performance vs, Caleb Plant.
The boxing horizon for Canelo Álvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) seems to be getting even more interesting.
After David Benavidez’s brilliant win against Caleb Plant, Benavidez Sr now wants Canelo to defend his undisputed super middleweight championship next in September against his son, as the Mexican Monster is his WBC mandatory.
The Guadalajara native will be facing John Ryder in May, a fight he’s expected to win in front of his come crowd, and after facing the Brit, he’s expected to go up in weight again to meet Dmitry Bivol in their rematch at 175 lbs.
Canelo: Benavidez or stripped of the title
Benavidez Sr. believes his son is now in control of the situation as if Canelo doesn’t defend his title against Benavidez, he will likely get stripped by the WBC.
“We’re not worried about that. If it happens, it happens. We would love to fight Canelo. He’s the best at 168,” said Jose Benavidez Sr to Fight Hub TV.
“If he doesn’t want to make that fight, there’s nothing we can do about it. David is the mandatory. If he doesn’t fight David, it’s for real. If he doesn’t fight David, they’re going to strip him out of his [WBC 168-lb] belt”, he added.
The ball now is in Canelo’s court, as he should decide what his future will look like after his bout against Ryder.
The Mexican wants to face Bivol again at 175, a weight where the Russian dominated him last May, but that means a big risk for him, while if he chooses to first fight Benavidez, it would be at 168, although the undefeated American has proven to have the skills to put Canelo in trouble too.